Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Set amid the 1980s space shuttle program, the latest novel from the author of Daisy Jones & The Six follows Joan Goodwin, an astrophysics professor turned astronaut-in-training. Alongside a compelling crew of hopefuls, Joan discovers unexpected love and questions her place in the universe... Jenkins Reid has crafted another irresistible, character-driven page-turner full of yearning, ambition, and heart - possibly the perfect summer read (Hutchinson Heinemann)
Words For My Comrades by Dean Van Nguyen
Dubliner Van Nguyen reframes Tupac Shakur not just as a music legend, but as a revolutionary shaped by Black Panther politics. This smart and sharp political biography traces Tupac's activism and artistry, exploring how his radical legacy continues to resonate—especially after the George Floyd uprisings. A bold, insightful take that moves beyond the myth, this book celebrates Shakur as a voice for justice and change in America’s racial and cultural landscape (White Rabbit)
Let Me Go Mad In My Own Way by Elaine Feeney
In this haunting, lyrical tale, a moving portrait of grief and self-reckoning, Claire returns to rural Ireland to care for her dying father—only to find her past waiting in the form of ex-lover Tom. As old love and family trauma resurface, Claire confronts her personal and ancestral ghosts. As ever, Feeney’s writing is emotionally raw, rich and atmospheric, exploring identity, place, and the challenges of escaping history. She talks to Oliver Callan below (Vintage)
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Our Song by Anna Carey
Anna Carey's first novel for adults is a tender second-chance love story wrapped in music and nostalgia. When Laura hears her ex-bandmate Tadhg’s song on the radio, old feelings and dreams she buried long ago begin to resurface. Now a global star, Tadhg’s success forces Laura to confront what she left behind... Honest, bittersweet, and filled with emotional depth, this novel examines the roads not taken—and the ones we might still return to. We can't wait for the movie... (Hachette)
North by Seamus Heaney
In this classic poetry collection, reissued in a new 50th anniversary edition, Seamus Heaney blends Irish myth, Norse imagery, and political commentary to reflect on the Troubles and Ireland’s layered past, exploring themes of violence, memory, and cultural inheritance. A haunting vision of a divided land, anchored in both personal and collective history, this remains a profound, unsettling collection that solidified Heaney’s place as poetic chronicler of Ireland’s soul and scars. RTÉ Arena celebrates a seminal work below (Faber)
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